


Party Crasher Memories

by AveTheNoulGuy



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, How original, Other, Party, catra dealing with angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27707099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AveTheNoulGuy/pseuds/AveTheNoulGuy
Summary: You know that random burst of creativity you get at *checks clock* five in the morning, apparently? Yeah. Also apparently I can only write Catrouble fanfiction now.Anyway, Catra is slowly healing from all she had to deal with at the Fright Zone, yet at a party in Brightmoon, she meets a most unwelcome party crasher, and things start spiralling out again.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra/Double Trouble (She-Ra)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 69





	1. Chapter 1

They were not meant to be there. She had felt something was wrong, people's jewelery changing, little details, but she blamed it on the drinks and excitement and didn't pay much attention to it. The moment she saw that black mass, the sly grin from the corner of her eye, she knew exactly who it was, but, fast as ever, they disappeared back into the crowd, letting her think it had been just another trick her dumb mind played on her. Could she ever be sure?

"Catraaah! You're not danciiing!" Glimmer, drunk as no queen should be, stumbled over to Catra and fell into her arms, not spilliing a drop from her cocktail. The first time Adora had dragged her girlfriend along to a party, she had been surprised how much the pink one loved drinking, but she also quickly learned that, despite her grunge style, she was definitely not a party person.

Catra looked around, still holding Glimmer up, who was still lazily swaying her hips. On the dancefloor a few meters off, among the crowd, a blonde was vigorously shaking around, like a fish in a desert. Alcohol did have that effect on Adora, yet no matter how drunk, Catra was always surprised how well the blonde got along with people, and didn't worry about her. Still, she was definitely not going to take Glimmer off her hands. Where was Bow? He had installed most of the music equipment, so Catra was surprised he wasn't on the DJ table. He usually took good care of his girl, Catra was surprised he wasn't around.

A hand caressed her shoulder, too gentle to be by accident. Catra whipped her head around - only one person dared touch her like that. She was pretty sure the girl next to her had been there a while, and, despite looking at her for a few moments more, she was pretty sure she couldn't have been it.

"Kitten."

She slashed her claw behind her, and tipped a random cup into the chips bowl. No one noticed. Where had that whisper come from? She could swear she had felt a breath by her ear.

"Where the fuck are you?!"

"Catraaah, why you shouting?" Glimmer snorted, somehow hearing her over the deafening music blasting in the room. "Are you drunk?"

"I think I saw . . . an old friend. Glimmer, I'll have to leave you here for a while, can you manage?"

"Friend? Heh, you had friends in the Fright Zone?"

"I uh." That had been too close to home. "I'll be back soon." She propped Glimmer up, who still kept swaying to the sides, whether from dance or alcohol Catra didn't know. Probably both. Pushing people aside, Catra made her way through the crowd. She didn't know where she was going, or what she was looking for - with someone so elusive, they usually found you before you found them.

The main hall was basically one huge dancefloor. The corridors were not as tightly packed, but it seemed hard to find a place with no people in the castle tonight. Private quarters were closed, but Catra knew from previous embarassing experience that they usually didn't stay empty during parties. She had slept on the floor after the first party at Brightmoon, until Glimmer agreed to buy her new bedcovers. She had slowly grown accustomed to the idea of people doing . . . stuff . . . in her bed, but was still a bit embarassed that she herself never got to. At least she had made sure to lock her room before people started coming.

Now, where were they hiding? Or rather, who were they this time? Those tricks had not been funny years ago, and they weren't fun now. In one of the rooms, Catra spotted a fluffy pink thing with wings, a boy awkwardly flirting with her and a very conspicuous drink in her hand. Catra watched her for a while before leaving. It was not them - too obvious. And she had grown up quite a bit, it was her own business what she decided to do at parties. Catra of all people was not going to stop someone from drinking. That boy, though . . . nah, still too obvious.

She kept aimlessly stalking the corridors, eyeing everyone who seemed suspicious to her, getting tired. What had gotten to her? She had never been good with alcohol. She will definitely need a talk with Adora later. But not today. Today, she needed sleep, and when the blonde was done partying, cuddles.

Yeah, cuddles were good.

Somewhat embarassed, she pushed her way back through to her girlfriend. Adora, noticing her kitten approaching her, put on her jock grin and pushed out her muscles in a most cringeworthy way.

"Well, what's a place like this doing in a- hic!" She had quite a noticeable slur.

"Adora, I-" Hey it might be the alcohol, but I think I heard someone who almost killed me years ago? Adora was too drunk for that. And she still had to calm Catra when she had nightmares about their mother, so that was definitely not something to bring up if she wanted the jock to have a good time. "I'm feeling a bit bad, I think I'll leave a bit early."

Adora leaned in with her worried face. Catra had used to hate it - it made her feel vulnerable. She still hated it when Adora showed it in front of others, but she had also learned how good it felt to trust someone.

"Adora, I'm fine. I just need a little rest from - from this all!" She had to shout the last few words, as the music had gotten louder again. Adora nodded and stepped back, working an awkward swing in her arms again.

Wading back through the crowd, Catra made her way back to her room, fishing her key out of her pocket and slipping in when no one was looking - she didn't want to talk to people. The walls muffled the music somewhat. She could still hear the boom of the party, the sound of a lot of people coming together and having fun, but now, it was distant, foreign, not something she was a part of. She was in her room now, her own little world she shared with Adora, where she felt save, where she trusted her.

"Took you long enough. I was almost getting bored."

And like that, it was gone. She was definitely having nightmares tonight.

"Double Trouble. You sure have a lot of guts crashing this party."

The room was empty. Or rather, it felt empty, alluringly so. Catra knew better than to trust a sense of comfort. The color of the drapes behind her bed shifted slightly, and a dark silhouette appeared there. Pointy ears, blond mohawk, lime green eyes staring intently into her, a finger poised seductively on their lips.

"Ah, but that's the fun, isn't it? I thought of messing with the queen herself, but she was way too drunk for that to be any fun. You, however . . ."

"Why are you here?" Catra tried not to let her voice shake, and she thought she did a pretty good job. She knew the shapeshifter could probably see right through her, but she was not going to give up without a fight. Though, wasn't that exactly what they wanted, for her to fight back so they could play with her around their little finger? Damn them and damn them again, for getting into her head like that and making her second-guess everything, without even doing anything!

"Well, you still haven't learned to have fun, I see. 'Great party at Brightmoon by the queen herself, free drinks, come one come all', all that jazz. Did you really think I was not going to show up?"

"You are in my room, on my bed, after . . . that. This is not where the party is at. I came here to relax, not to relive my nightmares."

"Yay, you're being honest! That's going to get you real far, kitten. How's the blonde?" They made a show of picking up a hair from their suit. It was a sparkly black thing, like they wanted to look like a spy but for the looks of it and not practicality. Not that they needed extra stealth.

"Adora is fine. Though, she's probably too drunk for your games right now."

"I sure hope she and the queen made up. Do pass my congratulations for the coronation, actually. I couldn't show up for that one."

"Trust me, you weren't missed."

"Oooh, kittie got claws! Though, Catra, I must say I'm disappointed. It's been so long after our last meeting, and you're beign so cold to me? I thought you'd jump in your arms the moment you saw me, and we could relish all the happy memories-"

"Shut up!"

Surprisingly, the lizard did stop talking, tensing up, ready to run. They had seen Catra lash out, but were lucky enough to avoid the brunt of it before. She didn't seem to have gotten better at fighting, but it never hurt to be careful.

"Shut up! This is my place! Not yours! That is Adora's bed! And you were not invited to this party, for a reason! This is not a place for you to play your twisted mind games, Double Trouble! I'm trying, okay? I was a bad person, but at least I'm trying to heal! And I have people helping me! While you are still the same manipulative bastard you were when I first met you! So leave!"

Still frozen in shock, Double Trouble stood immobile as a statue, their big, pretty green eyes staring at Catra. She did actually miss them, sometimes. They had been a fun friend, even if it had all been a facade to get close to her and abuse her like everyone else. Sometimes, she wished she could go back to that, chaotic partners in crime, instead of doubting everyone who was kind to her forever. She was not going to trust them again, and she knew it was dangerous just to talk to them. But somewhere, deep down, she still wished she could see them more often, catch up and even things out.

". . . well. That is . . . progress?"

"I assume you know the way out. Though I can call for guards if you want to."

"Okay, okay, I can get a hint." Double Trouble got up from her bed, walking over to the door with significantly less sass.

"You should probably keep this a secret from Glimmer, actually. She might freak out. However, do congratulate Mermista from me. Though, I guess I wasn't supposed to tell that to anyone. Oops. Oh, and-"

"I am not taking it back, so stop talking."

They stopped next to her, looking her over one last time. Catra was staring through the window as she was holding the door open, letting the music waft in. She refused to look at them. Double Trouble raised a hand to touch her, but thought better - she was angry with them. And they knew how she felt about touching.

". . . to answer your question . . . I missed you, kitten."

"Leave."

After another tense moment of silence, Catra heard a familiar hiss as the shifter changed their shape and disappeared in the party. Catra closed the door, took a deep breath, and fell to her knees, her whole body shaking with the screams of panic she had been holding back. After all her nightmares, Adora had been there to calm her, to coo into her ear until she calmed down, to make her feel safe, but now Adora was drunk and on the other side of a party, and she knew that somewhere in that party was one of her greatest nightmares, slipping through all her defenses and catching her off guard, ruining the perfect illusion of safety.

Still trembling, she grabbed the door for support, waited for the blood to come back to her face, and slowly rose to her shaky feet. For being such a mess, she sure handled it well. And Adora was going to come back for her soon, all dumb and cuddly and smelling softly of sweat. She could wait for her.

Baby steps.


	2. Chapter 2

"They've got your eyes."

Catra smiled. "Yeah." It had been almost a year, but a wave of happiness still washed over her when she looked that that cute little face, a tuft of Adora's hair above eyes like hers, blue and round and eager to explore the world. Fidgeting with their blanket, Finn looked around, and their eyes fixated on their favourite toy, a red figurine Bow had sculpted a few months back. Catra took it and reached it over. "Looking for this?"

Finn looked at her, and blinked. Green eyes. Wide, toothy grin.

"Gaah!"

Catra jolted up, screamed, breathing heavily, looking around, the blood booming in her ears. The room was dark. Where were they? Where were they?!

The bedsheets next to her rustled. "Catra, you'll wake up Finn . . ." Adora had not been getting much sleep. Bow and Glimmer had warned them, but it was still a lot to deal with. Slowly, the blonde sat up, eyes still half-closed in the dark of night. "Are you okay, Catra?"

"I . . . yeah." She took Adora's hand, squeesed it tight. It had been a while since she had had a nightmare. She had a family now, things to take care of. And she desperately needed sleep. But, she knew too well she wasn't getting any sleep tonight.

". . . I think I'll go for a walk."

"Catra." Adora hugged her, still drowsy. "You can talk to me if you need to, you know?"

"No, really, I'm okay. I just . . . I need to get my mind off things. I'll let you sleep."

Adora gave her a kiss and lied back down, falling back asleep immediately. Sneakily, Catra stepped off the bed and went to Finn's crib. The little kitten, crawled around a purple plush, was sleeping soundly. Catra bit her lip. The face of that monster on her little one was not a vision she liked. She looked around the room. Chaotic and clean, toys all over the floor, beds, and tables, baby clothes folded around in heaps. Her wife and child sleeping soundly, only her awake. Windows closed and locked.


	3. Chapter 3

The castle was an eerie place at night. She was used to people, casual guards and friends, pink walls and murals. In the dark, it was grey, quiet, and lonely. Pacing around, she found herself on the main balcony, overseeing the small lake at the foot of the castle, and above her, the Moonstone. She had avoided the place for a while after she had settled down here - she still remembered the first time she had met her mother again, how betrayed she had felt because Glimmer had let her walk around, free, even taking advice and lessons from her.

Her cat instincts dragged her out of her nostalgic monologue. A tiny figure at the reiling had moved. Catra crouched a bit, sneaking closer. It was, indeed, the Queen herself, resting her arms on the balcony as she was also lost in thought, looking up at the stars.

Catra walked closer, trying to make some more sound so she didn't surprise her. It seemed to work, as Glimmer looked down and seemed to wipe her face before looking behind her.

"Oh. Hi Catra. I thought you were sleeping?"

"Yeah, well, bad dreams. You're one to speak."

"Probably, I do have to get ready." She chuckled, and looked back up. "It's so crazy to think we were actually up there."

"It was terrible. I still can't believe you actually smashed his ball thingie."

"I'm not sure what I was thinking, to be honest. And the way you were sleazing up on him, I was kinda seeing why you liked the Horde so much."

"Yeah, well, we've both been dumb with power." Catra looked up as well. Tiny sparkly dots, far, far away. They had really been up there. It did put things in perspective.

". . . I should have asked."

"What?" Catra looked back at her. Glimmer was looking at a pavillion, overgrown with vines. A few marigolds still peeked through. "Oh."

"You were right about her. And . . . I'm sorry for what happened."

"Eh. She was a bitch, she deserved it."

"But she was your mother."

Yeah, and Catra still dreamed of her at night, of her cold voice and the black lightning scorching her body. She preferred not to think about it.

". . . I dreamt of mom tonight. The last time we spoke, we had a fight, and . . . I never even got to say goodbye . . ." Glimmer was crying again, not trying to hide it. "I was a terrible daughter."

"Glimmer." Catra took her hand, a plump pink thing, fitting snugly in hers. "You are a great daughter, and a great queen. She would have been proud of you."

Glimmer sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve, a smile creeping up behind the tears. "Thanks, Catra. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

Glimmer held her hand, looking out again, this time at the scenery, the dark forest that surrounded Brightmoon, enveloping and guarding it from all that wanted to harm it.

"You know . . . remember when I threw a party, a few years ago?"

"Where Mermista blurted out she didn't drink because she was pregnant and then forgot about it? Yeah, that was . . . wild."

"I think I saw Double Trouble."

Catra froze up. Yeah, she remembered that all right.

"I mean, I was pretty drunk at that point, and-"

"Nah. It was them."

Glimmer perked up. "You saw them too?"

"We . . . spoke. Apparently, they like crashing parties."

"I can't imagine that conversation ending without bloodshed. I mean, you did tell me about, you know . . ."

"I was a mess. They took advantage of that. And apparently, they liked toying with me enough to come back." Catra sighed, thought back to her time with the crook again. "I almost felt like things were going well for once."

"They are now, though?"

Catra thought for a moment. Eyes like hers, blue and round, and eager to explore. ". . . yeah. I should be going back to Adora."

"Was nice chatting with you!"

"Yup. And uh, good luck on your trip tomorrow?"

"Eh, the trip's the least of my worries. But thanks!"

Catra headed back to her room, an ember of happiness warming her up. She had a family, now, comfortably cuddled in her bed. Friends she could actually trust. Things were going well indeed.

A glint from her bedside table caught her eye. A tiny emerald that definitely wasn't there before was glinting in one of the few moonrays that got through the curtains. A small piece of paper was under it.

> Need supplies. Can't talk. Find me in the cave east of the lake. Come alone. Love and kisses, Trouble

Well, so much for going well. 


	4. Chapter 4

Catra was shaking like a leaf under her cloak, but she held her dagger steady. The cave was pitch-dark, to the point where even her eyes couldn't pierce through the darkness. And moist. Wading ankle-deep through the lake was already bad enough, but the moisture in the air got in her fur and made her cold. She sure hoped it was the right cave - she didn't like the idea of spending the entire night looking for that lizard.

"Well, you're up early."

Catra spun around, slicing through thin air with her dagger. The space behind her was empty.

"Eyes are up here, kitten."

Catra looked up. A dark silhouette hung from the ceiling, two thin yellow lines reflecting what light was still in the cave.

"Hello, Catra."

The feline realized her breathing was getting faster again. She had no doubts the lizard had noticed it far before she did.

"Double Trouble."

Without making a sound, they spun around and dropped in front of her, landing on one leg and bowing extravagantly. "The one and only."

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm afraid that is a somewhat long story that can wait for now." The silhouette straightened up, blocking her way out, glowing green orbs looking down on her. "Care to go in? They say it's bad luck to stay in a doorway. Oh, and sorry about the doormat. It got wet."

"I am not taking another step in before I know what game you are playing, lizard." With her free hand, Catra was desperately trying to find her lamp. She wasn't sure whether the shifter had noticed, and she didn't really care, as long as she could get a good look at them.

"Well, that's . . . unfortunate." Feeling the cold round rod, Catra whipped it out, turning it on and beaming it in Double Trouble's face.

Multiple cuts across the face. One blue eye. Looking down, their suit was shredded. Both arms and legs, caked in dirt or something darker, were cut and bruised all over, one partially wrapped in a dirty bandage. Squinting at the lamp, they put a pale green hand over it, engulfing themselves in shadow again but leaving enough light for Catra to see around her, their yellow eyes gleaming with contempt. "I think that's enough. Come in, now. I have some stuff we can sit on. And if I wanted to kill you I would have done so, blah blah, you know how it goes."

Still shaking, Catra followed suit, pointing the light down at her feet. She had the impression that her old acquaintance didn't like being seen in the state they were in, and she didn't dare challenge that idea.


	5. Chapter 5

The cave got wetter the deeper they went, and colder. The rocks here had never felt the warmth of the sun, and it showed. Catra was still shivering, but it was definitely the cold this time. The silhouette in front of her was still alien and terrifying, but they were also hurt. They needed her, and despite their habitual backstabbing, Catra knew they wouldn't turn on her. They needed her. She liked that kind of power. It tickled an old craving of hers, a craving she had shared with the trickster in front of her, and she didn't care enough to ignore it and suppress it.

Eventually, the corridor widened into a small cavern. Flashing the lamp around, Catra made out a couple bundles of stuff, and a rugged canvas laid out in the center, probably serving as both table, bed and bedcover. In a single swift movement, the lizard slithered down and sat themselves, two glowing yellow embers staring back at Catra from the dark.

"Take a seat. Come on, feel at home - it's just a cave."

Catra sat down, and became acutely aware of the moisture seeping into her clothes and fur. "So um, nice cave you got here? Must be real warm at night . . ."

"Oh shush, kitten. You know it's terrible. Now, bring it out. Show what you got me."

"Well, you didn't really say what kind of supplies you wanted . . ." She took her backpack off and tossed it at the lizard. They snatched it easily and started rummaging through it. Apparently, their night vision was not quite as good as Catra's.

"Some light maybe?"

"Sure, suit yourself." She took the lamp and shined it right in their face, a wide grin on hers. In an instant, they were over her, growling, the lamp rolling on the floor somewhere to the side. The little light reflected off their angry eyes, their perfect, bloody face, and their very, very sharp teeth.

"Catra, kitten . . . how about we make an agreement? You don't do stuff like that anymore, and I promise not to kill you before we are done."

"I um . . . I'm sorry."

Sliding back, they picked up the lamp and hung it on a rock on the ceiling. Somehow, they managed to light up only a small circle on the canvas without lighting up themselves or Catra. It occured to her that this was probably the first time they intentionally avoided a spotlight. The bag, having been tossed aside, was now pulled back and rummaged through properly.

"Dear, finally some food. Pastries, hm, cake, ew, more pastries - do princesses eat anything else? -, some pastries for dessert- oh! That looks good . . ." They took out a chunk of meat - the leg of something Bow had caught a few days back, if Catra remembered correctly. It seemed to disappear in their thin silhouette with a loud gulp. Stretching their back with a groan, they went back to looking through the bag.

". . . come to think of it, I've never seen you eat before?"

"Oh, I try not to do it in front of people. You're welcome for the show."

"Yeah. So uh, what exactly happened to get you . . . well, here?" Double Trouble had found the medkit and was slowly disinfecting their wounds, tying up the worse ones with bandages. It seemed like they knew what they were doing.

"Well, I was hanging around, scamming off idiots, when an old - hmmm, what should I call it - acquaintance of mine came looking for me."

"The kind where you fucked them up first?"

"Family, actually. And - ow! - they had a few nasty tricks up their figurative sleeves. Kind of embarrasing, really."

". . . what tricks?"

Double Trouble put down the flask of alcohol, a bit harsher than needed. "A curse, Catra. I can't shapeshift anymore."

"That . . . does sound terrible." She thought about it. Having such a great power, something so integral to them taken away . . . no wonder they were miserable. "It doesn't explain the bruises, though."

"Yeah, well, some people don't really take well to lizardfolk. Terribly, really. Gave me a run for my money, as they say. Though I had a bit more than money on the stakes . . ."

"In Brightmoon?" She thought back to her first time in Brightmoon, as a civilian, how people had scowled at her. "Yeah, I can imagine. How did they recognize you, though?"

They scoffed. "Catra, who do you think I am? No one recognized me, I was a nobody. I just happened to have scales on my back, and to rub a few people wrong. Not being able to change my shape doesn't mean I can't act, Catra. And act I did the best I could, until some drunk from Selenius took his dagger out. Then it was all pitchforks and torches for me."

"And for some reason you, the great escape artist, decided to hide in a cave in the middle of the kingdom instead of running away?"

They reached a hand across the light and tapped her on the nose "'Greatest'. While that might seem like a good idea, it is what got me here in the first place. I'm not worried about the townsfolk - I can't go out without risking her finding out where I am. Honestly, I'm surprised I got this far. She could have used a scrying spell, but I guess she's too stuck up to cast it."

"I mean, if you need help with a curse, we could ask King Micah . . . ?" Catra knew it was a bad plan. If they had gone through the trouble to hide from villagers with pitchforks and torches, introducing them to the King himself would be disastrous. And how would she even introduce them? "Your Honor, this is the thieving traitor that was with me in the Horde and tried to blow this place up?" Then again, Micah was just innocent and clueless enough for this to work.

"King Micah?" They tilted their head, apparently raising an eyebrow in the dark. "Oh, Micah! That old bastard, I forgot about him. So he's in Brightmoon. He is a bit strong for a hostage, though - and it's not really my style. Tell me about him, I need something to get him going."

"I- no, Double Trouble, I meant to ask him for help with the curse. He's a good person, he'd help someone in need."

They took a long pause, probably judging whether Catra was making fun of them. "I really don't like it when you describe me like that, kitten. And I don't think he of all people would help me."

"Why not? He's pretty powerful, I'm sure he'll know how to fix . . . well, whatever's wrong with you."

Double Trouble sighed. "Yes, he would. Some family he is - he created this curse."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the long waits, stuff's happening irl and I don't get to write often. I'm afraid this is how far I am right now, so if the muse doesn't hit soon, it might take yet a while longer for the next chapter. Until then, have fun!

"Wait, you mean to tell me King Micah, that Micah, the one who apologizes for days for tripping on your rug, is trying to kill you? And you're RELATED?"

"No, he just created the curse. I never said he was the one who cast it. We are related, though."

"Then who did?"

"Castaspella, his sister. Oh, and head sorceress of Mystacor. Same position Shadow Weaver was competing for, if I remember correctly. How's the old hag doing?"

"She . . ." Catra remembered her face, her voice, somehow carrying through the noise in that room, her final lie and how it kept her up at night. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh. Oh, okay. I'd offer to pay actual money for that story, but . . ." They gestured at the room around them. "I am rather short on funds at the moment."

Catra thought for a moment. Double Trouble liked earning money, so they must hate parting with it. Come to think of it, they also hated parting with information. "I'll tell you."

Their eyes widened in anticipation, then squinted. "Where's the catch?"

"You tell me about Casta."

They sighed. Catra was surprised - it wasn't a theatrical sigh, and it wasn't very obvious. Did they act it, or were they just that unhappy to talk about themselves? They remained motionless - it was hard to even tell if they were still breathing. Without a warning, they pulled out a small flask out of the mess of blankets, and took a swig.

"She is my grandmother. She blames my parents' death on me, and is out for blood. Your turn." The green eyes bore into her, daring her to question them. There was hate in those eyes, hate at themselves for revealing even that much to a stranger, to anyone. But . . . there was also something else.

". . . you had a family."

"No, I popped out of a rock one day. What do you think? But," they leaned forward, the light beams of the lamp carefully caressing their face, "I think I already did my part of the deal. Now tell me kitten. How did poor old 'mom' die?"

"She . . . we were running for the Heart. It was the only thing capable of stopping Horde Prime at that point. There was a guardian, and . . . she took it down." She was shaking. It hurt her to remember, but it somehow felt easier, more distant, like the lizard was drawing the story out of her for their entertainment, her emotions cast aside. She looked through her memories, and felt almost like reading a book - impartial, distant, cold.

". . . that's it? No dramatic reveal, no mysterious coincidence? Come on, at least tell me she took of that mask."

A grin crept up Catra's face. Desperation. "That's all you paid for, Double Trouble."

The silhouette leaned closer. Below the glowing green eyes, a sharp grin appeared. "Still feisty. Well, I'm in enough trouble already." They slithered up, still agile despite their wounds. "Come on. Let's see that old wizard."


	7. Chapter 7

The hike back up was easier and less treacherous than climbing down the smooth castle walls, yet also more dangerous now that Catra was accompanied by a known criminal that the guards would probably still remember. They had been smart not to show themselves. Despite their wounds, Double Trouble still managed to climb up not unlike a lizard, finding purchase in the tiniest grooves. Catra fared less well - her claws were useful for fighting, but not so much for clawing into rock.

"Sooo . . ." A treacherous voice carried from below her once they were high enough to not be heard over the waves of the lake. "Out of pure interest, what's the little one called?"

"That is none of your business." Catra knew the lizard was trying to get into her head again, and was not in the mood to deal with it while on a cliff face with the barest minimum of safety.

"I mean, since I will most likely be staying around for a while if everything goes well, I thought that I might fulfill my duties as a responsible auncle and whatnot . . ."

"You? Responsible? Pfft."

"Aw, come on, kitten. When have I not executed my scams with flawless perfection? I am always responsibly scamming off people."

"Yeah, thanks. Not really interested in giving them a role model like you."

"'Them'? Why, I think we already have something in common!"

She growled quietly at herself. It really took a lot of effort to watch her words around Double Trouble. "We don't know what they want to be, so we decided to stick with neutral until they are old enough to choose themselves."

". . . I always knew there was a good mother in you."

She hissed downward. "I will kick you, Double Trouble!"

"Heh. Sorry, I had to."

Blissfully, they remained silent for the rest of the way. Catra used the silence to think. They were right - if Micah didn't immediately kill them or send them to Mystacor, Double Trouble would most likely be staying in Brightmoon. Catra wasn't sure how well she could handle that, but something else worried her more. Finn. They knew she had a kid, a family, and they knew how much she cared for them. What would they do with that knowledge? It wouldn't be beneath them to threaten them to get what they wanted from Catra. Then again, if they were staying, they would have to behave, no? Or then again, they could leave once the curse is lifted . . .

". . . Finn."

"Pardon?"

"Finn Applesauce Meowmeow. Take care of them."

She grabbed the ledge and swung herself up onto the huge balcony. Luckily, there were no guards on the gate, or they would have definitely noticed her. Not looking back at the lizard, she headed in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *hand bursts out of a pile of college papers* I LIVE! *proceeds to collapse into a puddle of sadness*


End file.
